Greenpeace response to Iceland Announcement of the Resumption of Commercial Whaling

An endangered fin whale is brought to the harbor of Hvalfjörour, Iceland. The fin whale is the first kill by Iceland and marks the resumption to commercial whaling for the country.

“Iceland has no market for whale meat, but they do have a huge and far more valuable market for whale watching, ” said Greenpeace campaigner Frode Pleym.

“Instead of investing in a one-man campaign to rejuvenate an outdated, unnecessary industry, that can only damage the reputation of the country internationally, Iceland should be capitalising on the value of a growing industry of watching and studying whales.”

Claims that the hunt is sustainable cannot not be credible, since nine of the 39 whales that are to be targeted are endangered Fin whales.